Master blaster gets Bluebags home

QUEANBEYAN second grade produced a memorable
run-chase on the weekend to win their Twenty20 semi-final against Norths and
the star of the show was big left hander Simon Fahey.

Fahey’s heroics began with the ball where
he produced a clinical spell of bowling to take 2/15 (4), to help restrict
Norths to 6/150 off their 20 overs. The real fireworks however, were yet to
come.

Queanbeyan’s run chase then began in shaky
fashion as the Bluebags slumped to 4/41 from 10 overs as their finals ambitions
looked to be slipping away.

Up step Fahey. Coming to the crease with
his side in deep trouble, the white ball specialist’s launched an assault on
Norths’ bowling that swung the momentum of the match firmly back into our boys
favour.

He belted 60 runs off only 20 balls, smashing
six 6s and four 4s at a strike rate of 300.00 in a truly breathtaking innings.
Step aside Vele Dukoski.

Raglan Maddox hit the winning runs with a
boundary off the last ball and a grand final appearance now looms in the New
Year. Good luck boys.

Also, a big congratulations to Balinda
Singh who scored his first hundred for the club on the weekend. From all
accounts, Toyota
will be approaching him for their next ‘oh what a feeling’ ad after his
celebrations. Well done mate.

In other news the NRL’s decision to
eradicate the shoulder charge has everybody talking.

The call is a total overreaction. Yes there
were some sickening collisions last season, notably Greg Inglis’ absolute pole-axing
of Dean Young.

These incidents are in the minority though
and only receive such scrutiny due to the unintentional head contact and
subsequent concussions received by players.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see
players getting injured and neither do players want to injure their opponents
but they were all united against the calls to ban it.

The NRL should have looked into further
refining the laws surrounding the shoulder charge, and specifically high
contact, before deciding that a blanket ban on one of the game’s most exciting
features was the only way forward.